US4346614A - Process and device for installing a vertical gyroscope - Google Patents

Process and device for installing a vertical gyroscope Download PDF

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Publication number
US4346614A
US4346614A US06/179,994 US17999480A US4346614A US 4346614 A US4346614 A US 4346614A US 17999480 A US17999480 A US 17999480A US 4346614 A US4346614 A US 4346614A
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United States
Prior art keywords
axis
rotation
mass
roll
delay
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Expired - Lifetime
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US06/179,994
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English (en)
Inventor
Joseph Jouaillec
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Airbus Group SAS
Rohm and Haas Co
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Airbus Group SAS
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Assigned to ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY, A CORP.OF DE reassignment ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY, A CORP.OF DE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: JOUAILLEC JOSEPH
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C19/00—Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
    • G01C19/02—Rotary gyroscopes
    • G01C19/04—Details
    • G01C19/26—Caging, i.e. immobilising moving parts, e.g. for transport
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C19/00—Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
    • G01C19/02—Rotary gyroscopes
    • G01C19/44—Rotary gyroscopes for indicating the vertical
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C19/00—Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
    • G01C19/02—Rotary gyroscopes
    • G01C19/44—Rotary gyroscopes for indicating the vertical
    • G01C19/46—Erection devices for restoring rotor axis to a desired position
    • G01C19/50—Erection devices for restoring rotor axis to a desired position operating by mechanical means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C25/00—Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass
    • G01C25/005—Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass initial alignment, calibration or starting-up of inertial devices
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/12—Gyroscopes
    • Y10T74/1204—Gyroscopes with caging or parking means
    • Y10T74/1207—Rotor spin and cage release type
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/12—Gyroscopes
    • Y10T74/1229—Gyroscope control
    • Y10T74/1232—Erecting
    • Y10T74/1236—Erecting by plural diverse forces
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/12—Gyroscopes
    • Y10T74/1229—Gyroscope control
    • Y10T74/1232—Erecting
    • Y10T74/1243—Erecting by weight
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/12—Gyroscopes
    • Y10T74/1282—Gyroscopes with rotor drive
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/12—Gyroscopes
    • Y10T74/1286—Vertical gyroscopes

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a process for setting up a vertical gyroscope, and to a gyroscope applying this process.
  • the invention relates to gyroscopes for missiles, target drones and unpiloted flying craft.
  • a vertical gyroscope or an artificial horizon of an aircraft is known to essentially comprise a spinner or symmetrical mass of revolution freely rotating about a pin or axis, an assembly for suspending said pin, with respect to the support of said gyroscope, means for rotating said spinner, and means for transducing the orientation of said axis, for example with respect to the vertical.
  • Said suspension assembly gives said axis and therefore said spinner a total or virtually total freedom of angular position, whilst maintaining the centre of gravity of the whole fixed with respect to the support.
  • the spinner When it does not rotate, the spinner is therefore in astatic equilibrium and may occupy any angular position at the moment when it is spun in rotation. Its position should therefore be reset at this moment, i.e. its axis should be brought closer to that of the true vertical.
  • the "set" or “reset” position of the spinner corresponds to the calibrated zeros of said transducer means.
  • This operation is delicate to carry out when the missile or aircraft supporting the gyroscope is placed or provisionally fixed on a mobile support and animated by random movements during the resetting of the spinner, for example when the gyroscope equips a missile shot from a ship or a helicopter.
  • the device further comprising mechanical erector system with driven rotary pendulum tending automatically to reset the axis of rotation of the mass on the vertical and the erector system being controlled electrically, the means for controlling said erector system are supplied by the common source of supply, in parallel on said drive means and said reset means, a delay device being disposed on the link between said source and said means controlling the erector system, this delay being such that, on its expiration, the rotation of the pendulum and the kinetic moment are sufficient to reduce the movement of precession of the device about its roll axis.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the principle of known means for the return into roll of the equipment for suspending a rotary spinner of a gyroscopic device.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically illustrate the principle of known erector means for automatically bringing said spinner into vertical position as soon as it is driven by its drive means, FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively showing the axis of the spinner in vertical position and in position spaced from the vertical.
  • FIG. 4 shows, in diametrical section, an embodiment of erector means associated with a spinner and with its casing.
  • FIG. 5 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control system for the gyroscopic device of the invention.
  • the gyroscopic device comprises a spinner 1 contained in a casing 2 and adapted to be driven in rotation about its pin 3 of axis Z--Z' by an electric motor 4 housed in said casing (cf.FIG.4).
  • the casing 2 comprises aligned journals 5 and 6 enabling it to pivot about the pitch axis Y--Y' of the vehicle (not shown) on which said gyroscopic device is mounted.
  • the journals 5 and 6 serve to articulate the casing 2 and its spinner 1 on a frame 7, itself pivoted about the roll axis X--X' of said vehicle.
  • the frame 7 has not been shown in FIG. 4.
  • the supply and control connections of the motor 4 pass in known manner through the journals 5 and 6 of the axis Y--Y' and those (not shown) of axis X--X' of the frame 7.
  • the roll suspension frame 7 is fast with a cylindrical cam 8 on which rolls a roller 9 mounted to rotate freely on an arm 10 articulated on a pin 11 fast with the casing 2 of said gyroscopic device.
  • the cam 8 is centred on the roll axis X--X'.
  • a spring 12 fixed between the end of the arm 10 opposite the roller 9, and said casing, tends to apply the roller 9 against the operative surface of the cam 8 (position in dotted lines in FIG. 1) with a determined force.
  • the shape of the cam 8 is such that, when said roller 9 abuts on its operative surface, the frame 7 is automatically reset and maintained at relative horizontal of the casing 2 (zero roll).
  • An electromagnet 13 may eliminate the action of the roller 9 when it is activated, by attracting the arm 10 supporting the roller 9 against its armature 13a.
  • the armature 13a and the winding 13b are rendered fast with the casing 2 by a casing 14.
  • the roll frame 7 is free and consequently the spinner 1 is also free in roll.
  • the roller 9 is applied on the cam 8 and returns said frame 7 and said spinner 1 into horizontal position relative to the missile supporting the gyroscopic device, and maintains them there.
  • the electromagnet 13 is activated in synchronism with the spinning of the spinner by the motor 4.
  • the starting helical movement is eliminated due to the existence of the return moment about the axis X--X', which prevent the initiation of this helical movement, whilst the kinetic moment is still too little to ensure the stability of the gyroscope.
  • the difference i.e. the gain on the setting up time, is a very important parameter in the case of an anti-ship weapon system, for example, for which the reaction time of the system may constitute a decisive parameter. It may be said that the introduction of the delay t1 on the same gyroscope reduces the time of setting up from about ten minutes to about 2 minutes, this constituting an advantageous concrete result.
  • the advantage is even more noticeable in the case of using the gyroscope on a carrier vehicle in oscillation movement with considerable angular amplitudes during starting of the gyroscope (boat, airplane or helicopter for example), as, in this case, the resultant inclination on starting about the axis X--X' may bring the gyroscope into a configuration where its erection system may be made inefficient--or in any case only slightly efficient--this leading to a prohibitive setting up time, whilst, according to the invention, the gyroscope remains usable with an setting up time of a few minutes, even with a support presenting amplitudes of oscillation of 30° about the horizontal.
  • FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate a known erector mechanism for gyroscopic device, the roll return device 8 to 14 not being shown in these Figures.
  • this erector mechanism for vertical gyroscopic device essentially comprises an unstable pendulum 15 articulated about the axis of rotation Z--Z', of the spinner 1, this unstable pendulum being driven in the same direction as the spinner 1 by a gear reducer 16 which is driven from the shaft 3 and which rotates, at constant speed of about 40 revs per minute when the spinner rotates for example at 23,000 r.p.m., a counterweight 17 of shape similar to the pendulum 15, articulated about the same axis, and especially of equivalent mass, so as to constitute therewith an assembly whose centre of gravity is located on the axis of rotation Z--Z' of the spinner, when the unstable pendulum 15 is aligned with the counterweight 17.
  • This latter case is realised when the gyroscope is stabilised at the vertical and the erection system then applies no torque to the gyroscope. This is the case schematically illustrated in FIG. 2.
  • the unstable pendulum 15 In its plane of rotation, perpendicular to the axis of rotation Z--Z' of the spinner 1, the unstable pendulum 15 has a freedom of angular movement between, on the one hand, a drive stop 18 which positions it in alignment with its counterweight 17 and, on the other hand, a front stop 19 which limits its free stroke in the direction of the movement of rotation of the gyroscopic system.
  • the coil 20 When the coil 20 is supplied at a sufficient voltage to provoke the attraction of the mobile plate connected to the pawl 22, the latter occupies the high position shown in FIG. 4 and the unstable pendulum 15 then regains its freedom of angular movement, this allowing the erector to operate.
  • the energisation of the coil therefore enables the operation of the erector of the gyroscope to be controlled.
  • the supply connections of the coil 20 are guided outwardly of the suspension of the gyroscope by successively passing through the journals 5 and 6 of the inner axis Y--Y', then through the journals (not shown) of the axis of suspension X--X'.
  • the unstable pendulum 15 (which rotates extremely slowly at the beginning of starting of the spinner 1) could be found, for an appreciable period of time, in a position where it would exert a fairly considerable torque on the gyroscope, which would have only a very low kinetic moment; in this case, the gyroscope could reach a very difficult--even impossible--position to be subsequently corrected by the erector, further to a rapid precession about the axis of suspension X--X'.
  • t2 may be chosen to be equal to 30 seconds.
  • FIG. 6 shows the block diagram of the control of the gyroscope according to the invention.
  • An electrical supply 23 is activated by a control 24. Said supply is connected in parallel:
  • a relay 26 timed for example at 30 seconds.
  • the supply 23 when the supply 23 is activated by the control 24, it delivers a current to the motor 4 of the spinner 1, then to the electromagnet 13 de-activating the roll reset moment with 3 seconds delay, then to the electro-magnet 20 for activating said erector with 30 seconds delay.
  • the device according to the invention may be easily mounted on any gyroscope not provided to receive it, and in particular on simple gyroscopes on the market originally having an setting up time which is prohibitive for use on missiles.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
  • Gyroscopes (AREA)
US06/179,994 1979-09-03 1980-08-21 Process and device for installing a vertical gyroscope Expired - Lifetime US4346614A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7922006 1979-09-03
FR7922006A FR2464457A1 (fr) 1979-09-03 1979-09-03 Procede et dispositif de mise a poste d'un gyroscope de verticale

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US4346614A true US4346614A (en) 1982-08-31

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US06/179,994 Expired - Lifetime US4346614A (en) 1979-09-03 1980-08-21 Process and device for installing a vertical gyroscope

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US (1) US4346614A (show.php)
EP (1) EP0024977B1 (show.php)
CA (1) CA1136906A (show.php)
DE (1) DE3064132D1 (show.php)
FR (1) FR2464457A1 (show.php)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1983001681A1 (en) * 1981-11-09 1983-05-11 Navidyne Corp Improved gyro-stabilized apparatus

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2605641A (en) * 1952-08-05 Starting arrangement for gyro
US2654254A (en) * 1949-07-20 1953-10-06 Gen Electric Caging device for gyroscopes
FR1078486A (fr) * 1952-03-14 1954-11-18 Sperry Corp Instrument gyroscopique avec dispositif de centrage et de verrouillage du cadre de support du rotor
US2729978A (en) * 1952-11-18 1956-01-10 Iron Fireman Mfg Co Gyroscope caging system
US2737052A (en) * 1956-03-06 noxon
GB761521A (en) 1953-12-08 1956-11-14 G M Giannini & Co Inc Improvements in or relating to gyroscopes
US2880618A (en) * 1957-09-27 1959-04-07 Sperry Rand Corp Quick erecting means for gyro verticals
US2891407A (en) * 1959-06-23 Gyroscopic apparatus
US2907212A (en) * 1957-04-03 1959-10-06 Air Equipment Gyroscopes
US3359807A (en) * 1965-05-17 1967-12-26 Gen Electric Gyro erection system

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2605641A (en) * 1952-08-05 Starting arrangement for gyro
US2737052A (en) * 1956-03-06 noxon
US2891407A (en) * 1959-06-23 Gyroscopic apparatus
US2654254A (en) * 1949-07-20 1953-10-06 Gen Electric Caging device for gyroscopes
FR1078486A (fr) * 1952-03-14 1954-11-18 Sperry Corp Instrument gyroscopique avec dispositif de centrage et de verrouillage du cadre de support du rotor
US2729978A (en) * 1952-11-18 1956-01-10 Iron Fireman Mfg Co Gyroscope caging system
GB761521A (en) 1953-12-08 1956-11-14 G M Giannini & Co Inc Improvements in or relating to gyroscopes
US2907212A (en) * 1957-04-03 1959-10-06 Air Equipment Gyroscopes
US2880618A (en) * 1957-09-27 1959-04-07 Sperry Rand Corp Quick erecting means for gyro verticals
US3359807A (en) * 1965-05-17 1967-12-26 Gen Electric Gyro erection system

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1983001681A1 (en) * 1981-11-09 1983-05-11 Navidyne Corp Improved gyro-stabilized apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2464457B1 (show.php) 1982-04-30
FR2464457A1 (fr) 1981-03-06
DE3064132D1 (en) 1983-08-18
EP0024977B1 (fr) 1983-07-13
CA1136906A (fr) 1982-12-07
EP0024977A3 (en) 1981-03-18
EP0024977A2 (fr) 1981-03-11

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